What is a sleep study really like?
I’m sure I have sleep apnea, and my snoring is really loud and terrible. But I’m afraid to go through with the sleep study, because I have some sort of fear that I’ll stop breathing and suffocate. Please advise and thanks!
Sleep test also known as a polysomnogram is where they will hook you up to many wires that will moniter your brain waves as you sleep, monitor the air flow that you are breathing (this also allows the staff that is watching you know if you have stopped breathing and the computer will measure for how long), you will also be hooked up to a pulse ox that will measure your oxygen levels while you sleep. Alot of times if you stop breathing then naturally your oxygen level will drop.
So they watch your brain waves, your air flow, your oxygen level and they will wrap a strap around your chest and one around your abdomen that will measure when you are breathing in and out. They will also watch your eye movements. This will let them know when you’ve hit your REM (dream cycle) People who suffer from sleep apnea have a hard time staying in this important stage of sleep because the muscles tend to relax causing the upper airway obstruction to occur most often during this stage.
They use an adhesive to stick the wires to your head.
The room is set up very much like a home setting only of course there is oxygen usually hidden behind a picture on a wall so that if in the middle of the night your oxygen level goes down they can hook you up to oxygen or hook you up to a CPAP machine. (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) The air pressure that comes out of this machine will act as a splint to keep your airway open while you sleep.
I’m trying to think of what else you might want to know….
The people that do the sleep studies (Respiratory Therapists and/or polysomnographers) will be watching you sleep. If you think this might be bothersome to you then you may want to talk to your doctor about a sedative prior to the sleep study. They will wait for a certain amount of time to pass and if you haven’t fallen asleep before then they can give it to you if the doctor has ordered it.
They will ask you to refrain from caffeine, alcohol, smoking etc. prior to coming in.
Let me think what else….When you get there they will have you fill out a survey that asks about your sleep habits. You will fill out an epworth sleepiness scale..which you can find on the internet and score your ownself if you want but they will do it there too.
I probably gave you more information than what you wanted to know but sleep fascinates me. I’m a respiratory therapist now and hope someday to do sleep studies.
Wisconsin’s Home Sleep Study Solution with Dr. Madan Kandula
